Knocking On Forbidden Doors
by Celeste Goodchild
Summary: An old story reposted. A peculiar tale of Demando and Setsuna, and what might happen if both decided against the greater goods of their respective peoples.
1. The Last Day

Knocking on Forbidden Doors

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She says "I can help you but what do you say?"

But it's not free baby...you'll have to pay.

-- Break me, Shake Me, Daniel Jones and Darren Hayes

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PART I -- The Last Day

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Demando

Night time can never steal over Nemesis -- there is no daylight to speak of, so how can it be stolen? If there is no sun to block, what does it matter, anyway? Reminds me of that little adage; if a tree falls in a forest and there is no one there to hear it, does it make a sound? You could apply that to us -- if there is a sun, but none of us can see it, is it really there at all?

**__**

Setsuna

I have been told time and time again that there is something wrong with the timelines that exist within this place... this place they call the Nemesis. A rogue moon that is rarely seen because it hides itself in a shade of darkness that makes itself invisible to all but the ones who exist there. The lonely ones, the greatest pretenders.

It makes me angry to think that I should have to be the one to deal with them, but as Guardian of the Door of Time and Space, I have little choice. But then, when did I ever have a choice? Certainly, no-one _asked_ me if I wanted to be this person that I have become. I was never given the opportunity to weigh up the pros and cons, I was never allowed a moment to think it over.

No, I was born into this world, and I am tired. This job that I do, it comes with certain... consequences. Like my life span. How long has it been now? I don't know, I lost count centuries ago. What does it matter, anyway? I have no-one to celebrate my birthdays with, even if I could remember how old this passing year has just made me.

I suppose the one bonus is that I don't have to worry about my appearance. After all, appearing my true age would terrify anybody who came here, and I'm not sure how well I would cope with that. Even though my normal appearance scares them just as well. It's a terrible thing, to be here alone, knowing that if I do get a visitor, I probably have to kill them anyway. I've been here far too long.

Maybe this restlessness is only temporary -- but with the life I live, temporary could mean anything from ten minutes to ten thousand years. And I don't know how long I can cope with this... I smile through my tears and this emotionless fa 


	2. Timeslides

Knocking on Forbidden Doors

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Time manipulates your heart - preconceptions torn apart...

Begin to doubt my state of mind...but I won't go down on what I said.

-- A Thousand Words, Daniel Jones and Darren Hayes

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PART II -- Timeslides

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Demando

Dimension jumping was certainly a new experience for me -- I had never felt anything like this in my entire life. 

Of course, I had never felt anything like this confusion, either. Confusion at the actions of the Senshi who was leading me through the portal she had invoked, confusion at her motives. Why would she want to help me? She was acting very strangely for a Senshi who had always been called the one with little emotions. She was someone who would not be swayed by tears or begging, anger or shouting. Which is why I knew from that point on that she wasn't doing this for my benefit. She had an ulterior motive. 

And for some unknown reason, that didn't frighten me. In fact, if I admitted it to myself, I actually felt somewhat safer within the presence of the dark-haired woman. At first, I put it down to her aura of righteous power, an aura that said to me that she was indeed the only one amongst us who really _did_ fight for truth, justice and whatever else it was Sailor Moon liked to declare she stood for.

I followed Sailor Pluto like a lemming would follow his predecessor off the cliff -- blindly, without trepidation. My life had become a mess of lies, deception, self-loathing and a desire that I could turn back the clock and just _start again_. Following the Senshi to wherever she lead me was just something to do, something to distract me from the life I no longer wanted anymore. Sure, there was still Serenity, and I still had my forces and my kingdom, but with the Wiseman, who knew how deeply the corruption had spread? 

Trying to block the mental images that pained me so much, I went back to the strange, empty feelings that this dimension jump invoked in me. And wished for it to be over.

**__**

Setsuna

Demando seemed to be struggling within himself as the timelines rearranged themselves about us. Truthfully, this was not an illegal move on my part, not unless I allowed them to stay this way longer than was absolutely necessary. This was only a preview of what would happen, it was not set in stone. I believed that Demando understood that, though I couldn't say that I was entirely sure. After all, his judgement, which had been pretty bad at the best of times, was even more clouded today. 

Ignoring the doubts that had begun to gnaw with insistent teeth at the back of my mind, I decided to move on, to find something safer to distract my mind with. Like our destination, and the kind of effect it would most likely have on the hapless hero of the hour. I could see very clearly that he was not having the time of his life, going through this jump. Okay, so I intellectually understood myself that it was not a pleasant sensation, but it still made me lose some respect for him. It was only one little dimension jump, after all. 

The world was deconstructed about us in a manner that was very different to a mere time transversion. This was a time slide -- the timelines were being altered as we moved through the blankness that was the outside of time itself.

I felt oddly calm; Demando seemed confused and disoriented. However, my respect for him grew when, with a jolt, the timelines halted, catapulting us both into the brave new world. He didn't falter, he didn't collapse, like most new travellers would do. 

Instead, he looked at me with wide eyes and mouthed -- he seemed unable to speak aloud -- his next words. 

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Where are we?

I smiled slightly; it was not meant to be a degrading gesture, but it ended up that way. "Welcome to Thirtieth Century Nemesis, Demando. Welcome to the Nemesis as it is without your influence."

Startled, he could only stare at me for the longest moment without speaking. Then he said the only thing he could.

"What?"

With that patronising smile growing, I used my staff to indicate the great palace that lay some kilometres away, at the opposite end of the avenue in which we stood.

His jaw dropped; I can't say I blamed him. This was not the Nemesis he remembered, no it was not. It may have been a penal colony in both incarnations, but while the Nemesis under Demando's rule had retained its dark, oppressive atmosphere, this Nemesis had become... not _brighter_, but more open, more relaxed, more... human.

The dark streets were silent in the early dawn of the morning; hardly surprising, given that few Nemesian citizens could be described as being crepuscular. However, his eyes moved about nervously, and I noted with a degree of malicious glee that the composed Prince -- former Prince, sorry -- was now completely ill at ease, and very tense.

"Demando," I said quietly, placing a gloved hand on his shoulder. He jumped nearly half a mile, and I chuckled quietly to myself.

He turned to me, those peculiar violet eyes appearing curiously wounded. "Don't do that!" he said, in a voice that should have sounded like it was giving an order. It came out as more of a plea, actually.

Not removing my hand, I stared into his eyes for a whimsical moment, then frowned. "Demando, you cannot wander around Nemesis dressed as such. If you are to have any idea of your brother's kingdom, you will have to... blend in."

He looked startled; I can't claim that I was surprised by that. After all, this was the demagogue who had been the undisputed leader of a dictatorial state. _Blending in _was not one of the former Prince's great talents. "And how do you propose that I should do that?"

My grip on his shoulder tightened slightly, then I released it. I remained grave as I said to him quietly, "Demando, you need to look less conspicuous. You were the White Prince of Nemesis, and you dressed accordingly, in white. Here in this Nemesis, almost no-one wears white. It is not a... taboo colour, not exactly, but it certainly not a colour worn by respectful members of the community."

He stared at me with opaque, unreadable eyes for perhaps a second; his form then wavered slightly, leaving him dressed in a long, black coat with shiny gold buttons. It accentuated the fairness of his hair, it made it appear almost frosted in the cool light of the morning. However, he no longer stood out as he had.

For a second, he merely stared at me, then he indicated my clothes with one black-gloved hand. "I think you are still a little conspicuous, Senshi."

I chuckled lightly, cocking a dark eyebrow. "Why, Demando-sama, whatever do you mean?"

His reply was dry. "Whatever else may have changed, I think that a Sailor Senshi on Nemesis would still be something of an oddity."

"No, not exactly," I remarked airily, an unusual tone for me. I was rarely flippant about anything, especially things like this. "I may not be _welcome_, exactly, but I do command a degree of respect. After all, even though Nemesis is still considered to be an outcast of the solar system, your brother has done little in the way of declaring war on the Empress and her domain."

Demando looked shocked, and I had to stifle a smile. Instead, I closed my eyes, bowed my head. Having done that, I then allowed my energies to fade somewhat, my staff and fuku fading with a soft sigh. This left me dressed in a long, simple black dress that enhanced the cerise colour of my eyes, brought out the highlights of my rich, shiny hair.

The former Prince seemed somewhat startled, but instead of commenting upon my dress sense, he chose to turn and look towards the streets of the Nemesian capital. As he did so, thunder rumbled ominously in the distance, behind the grand central tower of the Prince of Nemesis.

I couldn't help but wonder what he made of all this.

**__**

Demando

Turning my gaze away from Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Pluto -- noting half-heartedly to myself that she _was_ remarkably beautiful -- I gazed upon the city that lay before me.

Oh, winds, but how it had _changed_... my Nemesis had always been dark, almost green in tone and in seeming, the sky pitch black at night and only vaguely grey at the height of the day. Even though the intensity of that pale light had not changed, this place seemed more... open, somehow. The construction of the capital city in my time had been of rich, reflective crystal, a cluster of buildings separated by only narrow streets, each facet of a crystal reflecting another, giving even more feeling of enclosure, of being watched.

But here, the buildings were tall, like towers, the streets characterised by many columns that lined the paved avenues. Marble seemed the stone most favoured by the artisans of this place, but there were signs of crystals everywhere. Tall posts serving as lamp-posts glowed dimly in the dim twilight of early morning, causing both of the tall figures of the Senshi and myself to cast long, narrow shadows across the dimly lavender shade of the tiles beneath my feet.

It was the central building that really shocked me, however. The main feature was the tall crystal tower that reached up into the sky like a three-pronged candelabra, narrow at the base with three notable towers at the top.

It was the design about the central tower that so entranced me. Two narrow, winding quartz corridors wound about the pale green crystal of the tower, spun in the seeming of a double-helix. The tower acted as the centre while these two corridors wound their way up, every so often corridors linking the spirals to the central building. 

The quartz glowed dimly, with a faint rose-coloured glow beneath the lights of both the city and the dying stars. These lights were reflected in the eyes of the Senshi of Time as I turned to look at her, sobered by the view of my brother's seat of power.

She smiled faintly as she looked at me; I began to realise how much that was irritating my disposition. She seemed so cool, so aloof, it was really beginning to gnaw at me. There was something about this woman that told me she was not used to people, and somehow, she placed herself above the average individual.

Well, I was far from average.

"Your brother designed that building himself -- he is quite the engineer," she remarked in her low, husky voice, her eyes almost respectful. "He is a young monarch, your brother, but he designed that at a very tender age. His father had always been one to indulge the wishes of his only son, so he commissioned the make-over of this once-dreary city... and as you can see, it opened the place up."

I felt rain fall on my head softly; I looked up to see that dismal, grizzly clouds hung heavy in the sky. "Rain," I murmured softly.

The Senshi inclined her head. "Yes... we should move further into the city. But Demando, before we continue..."

"Yes?" I asked, turning away from the towers to look at the civilian-dressed soldier. For a moment, she merely looked at me; she then turned her head slightly, looking towards the towers herself. 

"We should try to be as inconspicuous as possible... in that way, you should call me Meiou Setsuna, my given name, and treat me as a comrade rather than an enemy. You know as well as I do that your brother was always given to paranoia; he will be able to sense that there is uneasiness between us if you do not hide it well. When your brother sees these things, they make him uneasy too, you understand that, don't you?"

Nodding my agreement, I murmured her name under my breath. "Setsuna..." A moment in time. It seemed so peculiar that she would give me her name, but I knew without a doubt that it was indeed her real name. It wasn't just because both Meiou and Setsuna were puns on her guardian deity, it was more because it seemed to sit on her shoulders so very well.

"Indeed," she almost whispered in reply, and she gave me a look that seemed... unhappy, somehow. It was almost sympathetic in nature, and it disturbed me quite badly. 

Sighing shakily, I looked up the street. The rain had begun to fall in a light, ticklish drizzle, unusual for Nemesian rain. Typically, it was hard, and it was fast; the atmosphere was not really thick enough to support clouds much longer than it took for them to form. This soft rain, however, gave the streets a slick looking surface, the lights gleaming like enchanted Fay orbs. 

Setsuna didn't seem to be paying much attention to the rain, yet somehow, as I materialised a dark maroon coat, holding it out to her almost shyly. "Here," I said, not unkindly, even though it wasn't exactly a friendly tone. "Take this before you get wet."

She blinked at me for a second; she was genuinely surprised. She accepted the coat from me slowly, slipping her long arms through the slender sleeves and doing up the buttons quickly with dextrous fingers. "Doomo arigatoo gozaimasu, Demando-san," she replied quietly, flicking her long bangs out of her eyes with careful fingers. "You didn't have to do that."

I shrugged, not really understanding why it was that I had actually done that. Without thinking, I then proceeded to form a long, slender black pole in my hands. Once I held it solidly, I opened the umbrella, holding it over both of our heads. I noted with some satisfaction that she seemed shocked by my actions. Smiling to myself, I brushed the hair from my own eyes, looking back towards the palace. My head felt strange, somehow... it was as if the conjuring had taken something out of me. I realised belatedly that it was because I was relying on my own power to accomplish it.... when I had reverted to this form, my earrings, shards of the jakokuzuishou, had vanished, leaving me bereft of that particular power source...

Setsuna noted my discomfort, and then my panic when I couldn't rematerialise my earrings. "Demando-san, please don't worry. You no longer have access to the jakokuzuishou. However, your own energies and training as a sorcerer are sufficient enough for you here."

"So, I'm not in any danger...?"

She laughed, a low, mellifluous sound that seemed to wrap comforting fingers about my heart. "Of course not, Demando-san! You are with the Senshi of Time herself, what possible danger could you be in?"

I shook my head, bemused. "You would protect me?"

"I brought you here, didn't I?" Setsuna almost laughed, her eyes strangely merry. I couldn't really comprehend what it was that I was seeing; it seemed a completely unlikely expression for that serious, grave visage. 

I cocked my head to one side, gave her a speculative look in the fashion she had done to me. "Where is your staff, Setsuna-san?"

"My Time Key -- and its Garnet Orb -- are with me at all times in a non-physical sense. However, they are only incarnated in a physical sense when I am in my Senshi form... which is why neither is with me at this moment. Now come, Demando -- we have things we should do."

She indicated up the street, taking the umbrella from my unprotesting hand as she did so. It felt peculiar, to feel those long fingers move over my own. Like the rest of her, they seemed knowledgeable, wise.... and somehow weary. "Demando-san?"

I caught up with her easily; she was not taller than me, and my legs were longer. Truthfully, it was a little odd to have her walk by my side, and somehow familiar, at that...

It was a second later that I realised what had been familiar about it. Setsuna had dusky, troubled eyes, dark, shiny hair, a way of staring at me like she knew I was wrong, but wasn't going to tell me....

And she stood at exactly his height.

She reminded me of my dead brother so much then that it was like a physical pain resonating throughout my whole being. It was so great, I wrapped my arms about myself and stopped dead, almost gasping for breath as I felt the agony in my chest.

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Saffir... Esmeraude... Rubeus... all dead, all gone...

Setsuna turned to look at me as I almost doubled over in agony, the physical torment just as anguishing as the emotional pain I felt. 

I don't know what would have happened to me if she hadn't touched my shoulder then.

**__**

Setsuna

I had been in the process of moving down the street when I heard the sharp, hissing breath Demando drew through his teeth. There was a tiny cry of pain that made me turn, to see Demando lean his shoulder against a lamp post for support, his arms tightly wrapped about his chest. His damp hair fell into his face, obscuring his eyes, but I knew he had them tightly clenched, his heavy breathing told me so. Even though he wasn't saying a word, his pained aura told me exactly what he was thinking. Thoughts of his brother and his other, more distant relations were at the forefront of his mind, and they were causing him the most awful pain.

I moved back to him, holding the wide umbrella over both of our heads. My voice was benevolent, yet strong enough to break him out of his self-indulgent reverie. This was no time to concern himself with the past. As I placed my hand on his shoulder, I said quietly, "The palace is not here, Demando-san."

He looked back up at me, his eyes strangely dead and unseeing. "My brother is there...?"

I nodded. "Hai."

"But..." His voice faded away for a second, before he turned back to me, his violet eyes disbelieving. "No, Setsuna. My brother is dead."

I took his gloved hand, and forcefully pulled him to his feet, as a parent might treat a petulant child. "Not here, Demando. Now, come! The morning is breaking, and we do not have time to waste! If we want to catch the procession, we shall have to move to the main boulevard rather quickly."

I pulled him further forward so that he stood with me beneath the umbrella, both of us successfully shielded from the rain that continued to lightly coat the world. He seemed to stiffen at the realisation of being so close to me, but I ignored that, keeping my hand about his so that I propelled him forward when I moved. It was a strange feeling, walking beside the White Prince of Nemesis beneath the same umbrella, but I knew I had to ignore it and hurry through the streets. 

As we continued to move, we began to be joined by other citizens of the city, all dressed in conservative long coats and dresses, some holding umbrellas. As Demando looked about the people in wonder, his hand tightened about mine in comprehension. 

"Setsuna-san, they all have the mark of the Black Moon Family..."

"So do you," I remarked indifferently, and although I understood what it was he was saying, I wasn't about to answer his implication. If he wanted a reply, he'd have to bring it up himself.

"But you don't," he replied finally. 

I smiled slightly, still hurrying through the crowd that was growing denser by the minute. "Demando-san, they are not looking at me, so how would they notice? Nemesians are a polite folk, but they tend to keep out of one another's business, if they can help it. Besides, my hair covers a great deal of my forehead, so I doubt that they will notice."

He seemed on the verge of complaining about that, but I pulled him onto the edge of the street, and shushed him. "Listen, would you!" I hissed, before schooling my face back in neutrality. The disapproving looks of the other citizens had been enough to freeze a flame thrower. 

Demando stared at the silent street for a moment, which was seemingly enchanted in the early morning light, what with the soft, sweet rain and the tranquil azure lights. He then turned back to me, with a puzzled expression. "What is this gathering...?"

"Shoosh!" admonished a voice from behind us, one that sent a jolt of recognition across the face of the Prince. However, my hand on his arm kept him looking firmly ahead. In my opinion, now was not quite the right time for their meeting. 

"Demando-san," I whispered, keeping my face forward, scarcely moving my lips, "This is a procession that is somewhat common around here. If you keep quiet, you should be able to hear the drums."

"The drums...?"

I motioned for him to shut up; he seemed to get the message. For a moment, all we could hear was the steady pitter-patter of the rain on the tiled streets. Then in a moment, a distant church bell struck several times, a long, slow peal that echoed eerily throughout the avenues.

As we continued to listen, the sound of distant marching came into soft hearing, along with the sound of several drums being beaten in rhythm with the sound of many feet.

From further down the street, lines of beautifully dressed soldiers came into view. It seemed to be an even mixture of both women and men, all of the same rank except for the four in front. I heard Demando's sharp intake of breath as he recognised one of the highest-commanding women -- a verdant haired beauty dressed in the high-ranking blue and red uniform of a Field-Marshal. 

"Esmeraude," he murmured in shock, and I could see he was completely blown away. However, it was nothing compared to his latter shock as the procession continued on. 

Further down was a less populated area of the parade; it was here that only six figures walked. At the front were two guards, obviously those of high royal standing. Their uniforms, while cut in the same style of those of the other soldiers, were coloured blue and silver. Both held long staffs in their hands, slender rapiers in sheaths at their hips. The guards bringing up the rear were similar, though one was a female with long, red hair, her companion a striking man with braided purple hair.

"Serpentine!" Demando breathed, but that was the least of his worries as he turned to the people these guards were watching over. 

One he instantly recognised. He was dressed in a high-ranking naval-styled uniform; it was blue and gold, unlike the others. Even though this gave him a cold, aloof and a more professional look, Demando would have picked that flaming red hair and those cool cerise eyes anywhere.

"Rubeus..." he whispered, violet eyes stunned. "Setsuna, that's Rubeus!"

**__**

Demando

She seemed amused by my shock. "He seems to have moved up in the world, yes," Setsuna noted carefully, and I could have sworn she was shaking with laughter beside me. "He seems to have flourished more under your brother's regime than your own."

My gaze travelled from the tall redhead to his companion, the one he was obviously acting as guardian to. Certainly, I would have thought twice before attempting anything on the man with the halberd. 

My breath caught in my throat.

Tall, stately, a slender form wrapped in a flowing silver gown, she walked with her head bowed beside the man, eyes averted from the people's.

But her hair... long, golden hair that wavered in the breeze, yet kept dry by the umbrella she casually held in one lithe hand. She almost seemed to float over the tiles, like a goddess... a silver goddess...

The name on my lips faded as she suddenly looked to the side, directly at me. It was not my Serenity, no it was not. Her eyes were not that cornflower-blue shade that had so enchanted me, that heavenly shade that had bewitched my heart and stolen my sanity.

No, they were a peculiar shade of kaleidoscope silver... a changing spectrum that shimmered with all the colours of the rainbow, just like the so-called unlucky gem the earthians had named opal...

"Setsuna," I whispered shakily as she swept past me, followed by another contingent of lesser soldiers. "Setsuna, who _was_ that?" My voice began to rise in both volume and pitch as I spoke, a note of hysteria entering my words. "Tell me, dammit! Setsuna, who was that?!"

"Why, that was the Crown Princess, Ouppira-sama," came a startled voice from behind me, one that jolted me back to reality with a nasty shock... mostly due to its connotations. 

As I turned, I whispered her name, not really expecting it to be her. I was wrong, of course, wrong as I have always seemed to be in the past.

"Petz..." 

______________________________________________________________________________________

As written by Celeste Goodchild.

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Sailor Moon is the property of Naoko Takeuchi, Kodansha Comics, and Toei Animation.


	3. Thanks For The Memory

Knocking on Forbidden Doors

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Well you know that every time I look at that expression printed on the page I think I hear you

Whispering the magic and the compliments I need so badly... 

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-- All Around Me, Daniel Jones and Darren Hayes

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PART III -- Thanks For The Memory

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Demando

My heart literally stopped when I saw those green eyes boring into my own.

Oh, Petz and I, we had hardly been _friends_. I had been her superior, her Prince, the one who ruled over her and her sisters, the controller of her destiny...

Yet she now gave me a peculiar look that seemed almost mocking, as if she thought I was mad. She did not appear to recognise me at all; despairingly, I realised that _that_ was hardly remarkable, not in the end. 

However, her expression changed somewhat as she -- belatedly -- realised what it was I had called her. "Do forgive me for asking, but how did you know my given name?"

"Ayakashi Petz," I murmured this time, still staring at her with narrowed eyes. I never had been overly fond of Petz, this being mostly due to the fact that I thought my brother could do a lot better than her.

She seemed only mildly surprised. "Oh, so you know my last name, too?"

Sensing that I wasn't going to reply to Petz's question, Setsuna stepped forward slightly, coming to my side. She bowed her dark head, and said in her low, mellifluous voice "Please forgive my companion's rudeness. I am Meiou Setsuna, and this is Shirouji Demando."

I shot her a warning glance; she ignored me. I had a sneaking suspicion that Setsuna was one of those rare people who honestly didn't care what others thought of her. 

Petz's eyes narrowed in that instant; she did not pay much attention to me, she seemed somewhat off-put by Setsunaâs introduction. "Your name is not Nemesian, though that of your companion's is. You sound as if you are affiliated with the White Moon."

Setsuna was not at all perturbed by this veiled warning, if her neutral facial expression was anything to go by. "Is that a crime?"

A patronising smile oozed onto her face -- Petz seemed somewhat more... trying than I had remembered her to be. "It depends on the depth of your loyalty to the Neo-Queen. Prince Saffir-sama has some tolerance for-"

"Saffir," I whispered suddenly, startling both women. However, Setsuna turned back to Petz, effectively distracting the other green-haired woman. It was a good thing she did; I could feel that my skin had gone as pale as alabaster, and I knew my shock must be evident. 

The parade had long passed by, the streets had emptied quickly. I briefly wondered where the others had gotten to, but Setsuna's next words jolted me back to reality rather sharply.

"I was once a citizen of Crystal Tokyo, but I have married into the Nemesian society through my husband, Demando."

I almost choked, but I hid it when Petz gave me a strange look. I made a decision then that Setsuna and I needed to have a LONG talk about this. Later.

Petz then raised an eyebrow as she ran her eyes over the slender length of Setsuna's body. "Well, Meiou-san, I wouldnât exactly advertise your origins. Most of us are tolerant of your kind, but Saffir-sama has been... less than tranquil lately."

"Surely you're not implying that Saffir-sama would begin a war with those of the Neo-Silver Millennium, are you?" asked Setsuna pleasantly. 

Petz snorted, gathering her dark cloak about her, putting the hood up so that it more or less obscured all of her face. I shuddered; her appearance reminded me sharply of that traitorous bastard, the Wiseman. "I am under no obligation to answer that, Meiou-san."

Setsuna looked vaguely amused. I swiftly garnered the impression that this was the best anyone could get out of her, in the way that she would look happy or sad. It seemed to me that vague feelings were the best she could do after her many years of existence... for I knew that she was old. "You are part of the Ministry of Defence, are you not?"

Petz visibly started; Setsuna had accurately hit a nerve there. "I hardly think that is any of your concern, non-Citizen. Now, if you'll excuse me-"

"You're a member of government?" I asked suddenly, reaching out with one gloved hand to grab her sleeve when it seemed she would turn away from us.

Setsuna almost laughed. "She's the minister of defence, ottosama," she replied, almost beratingly. I had to resist the temptation to blast her for using that term, actually, but it was Petz's dry observation that caught the majority of my attention.

Petz shook off my grip, looking annoyed. "You two seem the wrong way around to me. For a non-Citizen, you know rather a lot about Nemesis, while your husband seems to know very little."

"Weâve been away from Nemesis for some time. I just happened to follow the news," Setsuna replied with a straight face. To her credit, she didn't react to the sharp elbow I surreptitiously shoved into her ribs. 

Petz shrugged for a second, then looked back at me, narrowing her eyes as she looked me over. "You knew my name... you must have known my position."

"No," I replied, and then something occurred to me. "Minister Ayakashi-sama, are you able to speak with the Prince at will?"

"If his will allows it, yes," she replied carefully, not taking her eyes from mine. "Why do you ask?"

Setsuna laughed, high and fluting. "My husband desires to meet his sovereign, in order to compare him to the great and noble Neo-Queen and Neo-King of the Crystal Empire."

I think Petz's jaw would have hit the floor if she could have done it without needing extensive plastic surgery afterwards. "Youâve _met_ the Neo King and Queen?!"

"Indeed," Setsuna said softly, her eyes somehow shadowed. "Demando-sama is as unaccepted on Earth as I am here... and naturally, the rulers wanted to see my Nemesian husband, to... approve his presence on their planet."

Confused, Petz's eyes flicked back and forth between us in mystification. "How in the Universe did you two even meet?"

"I have always wanted to be a diplomat," replied Setsuna smoothly, before giving me a strangely affectionate smile. "Demando-sama has long felt the same way. Call it the coming together of mutual minds that have always thought alike..."

"I would like to see the Prince," I said suddenly, interrupting Setsuna's oddly quiet words. "I have seen the Neo-Queen, and I wish to speak to my sovereign about what it was that I saw."

That was where Petz's paranoia kicked in. "You are not people whom the Prince has time to see..."

And that was where Setsuna surprised the both of us.

**__**

Setsuna

"I am a diplomat from the Neo-Queen myself," I remarked softly, the lie falling smoothly from my tongue. I hated to admit it to myself, but it vastly amused me to continue shocking Demando. He was completely out of his element, he was used to being the one in absolute control. "My husband and I wish to speak with the Prince about things I feel will be beneficial to us both."

She gave me a sceptical look, which was less amusing than Demando's wide eyed puzzlement. "If I were to allow you to see the Prince, I would need some confirmation of your status, gaikoukan."

I nodded, and took from the air a scroll of paper which materialised at my command. It shimmered silver in the early morning light, the writing pale pink against the argent parchment.

Demando managed to conceal his surprise, Petz was somewhat less successful. "Why did you not come here officially, Meiou-san? Why were you not announced by your deity Queen?"

I gave her one of my most straightforward looks, not blinking my cerise eyes in the slightest. This meant that my stare must have been penetrating, because rarely blinking is the secret behind such gazes. "The Queen did not wish to alarm anybody by making this a public and media circus. She asked me to return home with my husband, and while here, to speak with the Prince about various matters of state. It is not a job of great significance, more one of mutual interest. If she wanted to make this official, she would have sent one of her Senshi, ne?"

Demando coughed rather loudly beside me; I simply ignored him. I could understand why he was beginning to think I was crazy, but the truth was, I was having fun. It had been a long time since I had ever done such things... far too long, even for one like myself. 

Petz didn't react to Demando's delicate complaint at my irony, and took the scroll into her gloved fingers. She seemed to read over it again, and then she sighed. "It seems real enough."

"Oh, it is," I remarked gamely, before gently placing my arm about Demando's waist. He stiffened underneath my touch, but remembered to play his role, and did not pull away. "My husband and I are both vagabonds of this universe, we wander... but we do not like to see two such kingdoms ignore each other as they try so desperately to do. Wouldn't it be better for all of us if you could live together, instead of just co-existing?"

Petz was by now looking at Demando, who wasn't really paying all that much attention to what was going on between the Minister and me. He seemed fascinated by the towers of the palace, and I couldnât say that I was surprised. After all, that was where his brother was. "I could take you to the palace, I suppose, but I had been planning to go and listen to the speech of the Princess..."

Demando tore his eyes from the glistening tower to stare at Petz. "That was why she was coming through the streets like this? She was going to give a speech?"

"In the square, yes," Petz replied, cocking her head to one side. "You are not familiar with Nemesian politics, are you?"

Demando almost gagged; I almost laughed. The most prodigal demagogue and orator of the thirtieth century had just been asked if he was _not familiar_ with Nemesian politics... oh, this was classic.

Managing to keep his composure -- just barely, I might add -- Demando replied civilly with "I have been away from such matters for some time, Ayakashi-sama. However, that is not what we came here to discuss. I think it is now time that you take us to see your Prince."

I winced internally at that speech; Demando had unintentionally allowed some of his former power to creep into his words, and it obviously irked the minister somewhat. After all, she was probably unused to hearing such a peremptory tone from a so-called civilian.

However, before she could reply, he asked her what could be regarded as a very odd question. "Ayakashi-san, if the Prince is married to the Princess, then who are you married to?"

I remained calm and undisturbed by this question; it made Petz look suddenly uncomfortable, and very bewildered. "I don't know what you mean..."

Demando brushed that aside. "Tell me, what rank do Rubeus, Esmeraude and Serpentine hold these days?"

She gave him a suspicious Look, before replying slowly "Admiral, Field-Marshal and lieutenant-general, in that order... though Lord Serpentine acts as a bodyguard to the Prince and Princess."

Demando chuckled, sounding as if he were both shocked and not surprised, as impossible as that sounded. "Ah, both of them do so well.... and Serpentine, I can't say I'm surprised. He was always fiercely loyal to me...why should it be any different now...?"

"What?" asked Petz, looking horribly confused, and somewhat suspicious. "What are you talking about?"

I tightened my grip about Demando's waist, which seemed to bring him back to this alternative reality with a bit of a thump. "Nothing," he replied evenly, and even though it was obvious she was not completely satisfied with that answer, she looked one more time at the scroll, then turned to gaze up the street. "The Princess is in the square, giving one of her famous speeches, but I daresay the Prince will be in his audience chamber, or thereabouts."

"Have you ever heard of the jakokuzuishou?" Demando abruptly blurted out, before I could stop him. Internally I sighed; externally, I didn't react at all. That was one of the greatest talents of the Guardian of Time, and a completely necessary one at that.

Petz gave him a queer look, like he had suddenly grown a third head or something. "There is a ginzuishou, and only one of them at that. I have never heard of a jakokuzuishou... do you care to explain to me what it is and why I should have heard of it?"

Demando had visibly relaxed; obviously, the question had been at the forefront of his mind for sometime, annoying him immensely. "It is nothing, Ayakashi-sama. Nothing at all."

Unconvinced, she seemed on the verge of complaining that Demando couldn't possibly be sane enough to be granted an audience with the Prince of the Nemesis. However, I merely said "Let us go," and she appeared to be calmed by that. I didn't know how I could do that to people; I figured that it was because of my many years of solitude. One might think that that would ruin my people skills, but after being an observer for many years, I had witnessed the quirks of many people, and I knew certain ways of calming their fears and suspicions. 

However, I knew that I would not be able to help Demando keep in control once we actually came across his brother. 

**__**

Demando

Petz moved easily through the streets, shielded from the soft drizzly rain by only her cloak. Setsuna and I still shared the umbrella, though she had by now removed her arm from about my waist. I understood why she had done it in the first place, we had to act as husband and wife to avoid even more suspicion. Certainly, I was doing a good enough job to blow our cover. However, it was odd... now that she had taken her comforting arm away, I almost... missed it. Before she had even touched me, I had never even begun to wonder what it would be like to be near her, but now that I had, there was something... something about her that made me want to stay beside her.

__

It's because she seems so lonely, just like you... even though she hides it better than you do. The only reason you see it is because you feel the same way... it's called the coming together of two minds that think alike. 

Just like Setsuna said to Petz...

Sighing shakily, I realised that we had come upon the outer gates of the Nemesian royal palace. I almost shuddered as I looked up over the tall wrought iron, up at the strange construction that looked nothing like my own palace. 

Petz spoke easily to one of the four guards outside the gates; they were dressed in the same blue and silver uniforms I had observed Serpentine to wear, but they were lesser-ranking than that which the violet-haired man had worn. They obviously knew Petz well; it was most evident that it was our presence that was giving her trouble.

Finally, they allowed us through, after making what appeared to be hundreds of phone calls from the guardhouse. It was clear to the both of us that the person they had spoken to was less than impressed at having been interrupted from their duties.

As we moved inside, I expected a bodily search for weapons of one sort or another, but we were merely allowed to pass through. However, I knew that we weren't getting off that easily. There must be something we would have to go through before we got to my brother's audience chamber... if we ever made it that far.

We moved down the avenue beyond the heavy gates; two guards from the gatehouse accompanied us. They flanked Setsuna and me; Petz led the way, her cloak flapping about her long legs. She brought us all up the stairs to the main doors of the central building, from which the three towers arose.

At the head of these stairs was a small figure, dressed in long, black robes of state. They were lined with pale rose-gold, which glittered almost ominously in the bright kaleidoscope light of the glowing orbs. As she looked at us, I recognised the verdant eyes, the long curtain of violet hair that characterised the woman to me, as it always had.

Petz inclined her head to her, bowing respectfully. "Lady Chancellor, these are the two whom wish to speak with Prince Saffir-sama. The man is the Nemesian, the other of the Neo-Silver Millennium."

Amethyst gave me an almost bored look; I was actually very insulted. The girl -- for that was how I remembered her, a shy, timid little girl -- had always been afraid of me, of my position. It seemed she had grown up, however. And to be a Chancellor, instead of that reticent archivist...

"I don't have time for this," she said clearly, slowly. "As Supreme Court Judge, I have things I should do. For example, the coroner wishes to speak with me, regarding the incident in Judecca two months ago. Now, I have to deal with this, and it seems, in my mind, to take more precedence than this matter."

"Coroner Ayakashi can wait," Petz replied evenly. I wondered for a moment which of the sisters had become the coroner... without much further thought, I understood that it had to be Beruche. After all, the white-haired sister had always been the most logical and level-minded of the four...

Amethyst shook her head, the long waves flying about her narrow face. "I have an appointment with the Prime Minister in less than an hour. Now, if you would like to keep him waiting, that's your funeral, but-"

"Give us the clearance, Amethyst," Petz broke in, sounding bored. "My authorisation is enough to make you do it, you understand that, right?"  
  
Amethyst looked annoyed, but it seemed there was little she could do. "Fine. Come with me, then, to the throne room. I do believe that Prince Saffir-sama will be there... but have you screened these two so-called 'diplomats' yet? I don't want to be responsible for the assassination of the Prince, especially not with the Princess in such a condition."

I opened my mouth to ask "And what condition would this be?" but Setsuna's hand tightening about my own made me shut up. I had the feeling she had no idea what Amethyst had meant by that, but she was obviously tired of covering for me.

Petz snorted. "They come from Serenity herself. The Neo-Queen is not a Neo-Nazi, Amethyst; she doesn't believe in such things as assassination. However... it never hurts to be paranoid, does it?"

"A phrase coined by the Prince himself," remarked Amethyst dryly. She then startled the pair of us by invoking our auras; a simple spell that allowed her to effectively read our motives. If there was anything even remotely evil plotted in our minds, our auras would reveal this by being dark, corrupt.

Setsuna seemed at ease while Amethyst's roving eyes moved through our auras. I stood stock still myself; I was dreadfully afraid _something_ in my rose-coloured aura would give me away.

She waved her hand, effectively dismissing us. She sounded fed up with this kind of incident as she then motioned for our accompanying guards to open the large, heavy wooden doors. "Come then," she said, somewhat sharply. Petz looked annoyed at her tone, but looking over at Setsuna, I saw that she seemed to have no reaction to this at all. However, even though she had taken the umbrella down, I noticed that she was holding it in her left hand in a familiar way.

She was holding it the same way she held her Time Staff... it was as if not having the staff with its Garnet Orb atop it was somehow unsettling her inside, even though she refused to show it externally.

I think that was why I did what I did, which was to take her right hand into my own, and gently squeeze it, as I had done so often to my brother when he needed silent comfort. She didn't seem at all surprised, going by the expression on her face, but I saw something flicker in her eyes when they flinched over mine for but a second in time. 

Amethyst more or less stalked through the dark, crystalline corridors, all of them dim in the pale yellow glow of the lighting orbs. Tall columns of crystal flickered in this dusky light, but I had no time to examine the scenery. Setsuna's hand, still wrapped about my own, provided a strange distraction. I had only meant to hold it for a second, but she had yet to release it... and for some reason, I didn't want to release her hand, either. 

It seemed eons later when Amethyst came across a guarded door. Without even paying so much as a whit of attention to the military presence, she pushed the doors open and stormed in. I marvelled at this; my memories of the girl in my kingdom had her pegged as a shy, retiring little girl who had been deathly afraid of the military faction... well, afraid of authority in general.

We walked in slowly behind her just in time to see her stamp her foot on the glassy floor and swear rather creatively -- another first. I never thought I would have lived to see the day when Amethyst said "Darn." 

I had to gasp as I looked about my brother's audience chamber. It was circular, like my own, but there, the similarities ended. The roof was a huge dome decorated with stained glass, obviously lighted by an external light source, for the light shining through the coloured glass was too bright to be that of the sun. The dome and the arched windows about the sides cast coloured shadows across a quartz floor, which shone with the light it refracted back into the room. 

Tall crystal statues -- most made of semi-precious crystal, though I saw three in sapphire, emerald and ruby -- lined the walls, each glowing faintly in the filtered light. They almost appeared to be watching me, but it was not an uncomfortable feeling. In fact, it seemed appropriate; not only had my brother loved to sculpt and shape such things from crystal, he had liked to keep an eye on things... my paranoid little brother...

I had to fiercely blink back tears as I allowed my gaze to finally travel to the dais that stood three steps higher than the rest of the room. I gasped to see it -- three tall silver chairs stood there, the middle one the largest by far, but still, I was shocked to see _three_ of the damn things...

But then, it was not the throne and its two lesser subjects that caught my attention. It was the waterfall at the back of them, a rainbow shimmering across its surface as the tiny droplets caught the light from the windows. Dark green vines wrapped themselves about the chairs and the archway of the dais, giving it a slightly surreal look...

Not to mention the flowers. In ornate silver pots on either side of the middle throne sat two tiny flower plants, which I instantly recognised as being the only flower that grew on Nemesis...

Tears really stung my eyes now. _Even in this world, all he wants are those bloody flowers..._

Amethyst looked severely annoyed as she turned from the three empty thrones to face us. "Well, that's just terrific, isn't it? Prince Saffir-sama's not even here! And seeing that Ouppira-sama is in the square, and Esmeraude-sama, Rubeus-sama and Serpentine-sama with her, I haven't got any idea who to ask about his whereabouts..."

Amethyst seemed to fall into short contemplation; I used that time to lean over to Petz and whisper -- without letting go of Setsuna's lithe fingers -- "Why are there three thrones?"

"One for the Prince, one for the Princess, and one for the Prime Minister," she replied in a low voice, keeping her eyes trained on Amethyst, whom appeared to be thinking quite violently to herself. 

"All that trouble for a _cat_?!" I asked incredulously.

The violet haired girl then turned before Petz could formulate a reply. "I have it! He'll be in the conservatory... not the most formal place to run into the Prince, I'll grant you, but as his chief advisor, I'm bending the rules. The sooner I get you to him -- the sooner I can leave." With that, she stormed out of the throne room and disappeared down the western corridor, all without turning to check that we were following her.

Petz chased after her immediately; it left Setsuna and I alone for a moment. She gave me an almost amused look; I figured that that was the best she could do in making a friendly smile. "Was she always like that, Demando?"

I shook my head, slightly dazed. "I swear, if you met her back home, you wouldn't even think they were from the same planet, let alone the same person..."

Setsuna chuckled, low and to herself. "People can and do change."

I snorted. "Yeah, well, with Amethyst, it might have been for the better. After all, I have to admit I love a woman who takes the reins."

Setsuna then gave me the most peculiar, veiled gaze; even her tone of voice sounded funny, different. "What do you think I've been doing all this time?"

I was shocked to discover that for a moment, I couldn't tear my eyes away from the pained cerise eyes of the Senshi of Pluto. It was in that moment that I understood that somehow, she was hurting just as much as I was.

"Excuse me!" snapped a voice, and we jumped, breaking our hands apart to see Amethyst standing in the doorway, verdant eyes blazing. "The Prince is in the conservatory, waiting for you!"

As we swiftly strode from the room, I allowed myself a glance back at Setsuna. Her eyes, however, were once again guarded, shielded... and I could feel her aura of detachment once again surrounding her like a cool blanket. I didn't understand why, but for some reason, that made me... unhappy. 

However, all thoughts of what was on the Senshi's mind disappeared when we came across Petz standing alone outside a shut wooden door. 

Amethyst pushed past her, and moved into what I thought was the outside; but no, it was a remarkable greenhouse, contained within the palace's interior walls. I barely had time to look about, however; Amethyst's loud shout of "Oujiiiiiiiiiiisaaaaaaamaaaaaaa!" was enough to make even Setsuna wince. 

"I don't think screaming 'Prince' all over the place is proper royal protocol, do you?" I asked Setsuna confidentially, with a slight chuckle.

She shook her head, a ghost of a smile on her face. "You should see the royal family of Crystal Tokyo..." 

Amethyst then moved through the paths of this internal garden quite quickly; even though she was a tiny woman, I had to move quite quickly to keep up with her. Setsuna was, as usual, a comforting presence by my side. I was glad for that a moment later, for it was her arm that I gripped when I saw him.

There was a stream running through the garden; by its side was a young man, kneeling on the stone path. He seemed to be running his long fingers through the cold water, almost as if trying to touch his own reflection. In his other hand he held an open book, his fingers obviously marking the page he had left off at. However, upon hearing our footsteps, his dark head snapped up, dusky blue eyes looking slightly confused as a bemused smile crossed his face. "Amethyst-san, Petz-san..."

He then stood up to his full height -- two inches shorter than me, but still tall none-the-less. He was dressed in a long navy coat that matched the shade of his hair, a beautiful coat that fell to mid-calf, decorated with the quartz clasps of a Nemesian Savant. His hands were gloved in white, his trousers and shoes white, his skin as pale as alabaster... a person who never saw much sun, even though when he was young, he had wished for little else...

Dusky blue eyes, wide, trusting, yet somehow suspicious as they fell on both Setsuna and me.

"Forgive me for asking, but who are you?" he asked pleasantly, stepping so close to me that I could almost feel his breath, could almost hear his heartbeat. 

I would like to say that I reacted as a Nemesian Prince should; I would like to say that I calmly introduced Setsuna and myself as quasi-diplomats from the Neo-Queen. However, saying that would be a lie, for I actually did something a lot less dignified than that.

I fainted. 

______________________________________________________________________________________

As written by Celeste Goodchild.

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Sailor Moon is the property of Naoko Takeuchi, Kodansha Comics, and Toei Animation.


	4. Future Echoes

Knocking on Forbidden Doors

*****

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We stumble in a tangled web

Decaying friendships almost dead

And hide behind a mask of lies...

-- A Thousand Words, Daniel Jones and Darren Hayes

*****

****

PART IV -- Future Echoes

__

Setsuna

To say I was shocked by Demando's actions would have been quite an understatement, to put it lightly. One second he had been clinging to my arm so desperately I thought he was going to cut off my circulation; the next he took one good look at his little brother and fainted.

As I knelt by his side, whispering to him softly that it was time to get up, I felt slightly bad about the whole situation. I should have realised that it really was a little much for him to bear, when it came right down to it. After all, he had probably not really believed that he would see Saffir alive again, alternate reality or not. 

However, having Saffir kneel beside me was actually giving me the willies, to put not too fine a point on it. I had seen the young man die myself; it was a little weird to have him there beside me, looking over the man as if he were a complete stranger. In some ways, that upset me -- it seemed so completely _wrong_ for Saffir to not know who it was that he knelt beside...

And I thought bleakly, _if this upsets me, the one outside time and her consequences, then how is this going to make Demando feel?_

It was even more unsettling for me to realise that I cared. 

**__**

Demando

I stirred slightly, managing to open my eyes as I sat up slowly. I felt arms go about my back; two pairs, both of them familiar in their own way. However, I stood up mostly of my own accord. The truth was, I was more embarrassed than hurt... after all, it had been shock that caused my swoon, and I didn't seem to have hit anything when I fell.

I allowed Setsuna to place her hand on my shoulder; somehow, she was a steadying force to me as I then looked towards the brother I had not seen since he had died only metres away from me. 

He was giving me a slightly quizzical look, but that was not what killed me inside. No, what hurt me was that _there was no shred of recognition in his eyes whatsoever_. Nothing in his stance, his voice, his eyes indicated that he remembered me at all. 

I swayed on my feet again, this realisation almost causing me to collapse again, this time in pure grief. This was not what I had expected at all... certainly, I hadn't expected Saffir to remember who I was instantly, to fall into my arms and be exactly like the younger brother I had left behind, but this... this was killing me!

__

He doesn't even know your name...

"Saffir," I whispered, closing my eyes as I leaned into Setsuna for support. Like a rock, she steadied me, not drawing away from me at all. For a moment, I wondered why, why did she aid me when we were essentially enemies, not allies? Was it because she felt some responsibility for bringing me here in the first place, or was it because of something else...?

"That is me," he replied calmly, standing beside my form, completely unafraid of me. I didn't know if that was simply because he didn't see me as a threat, or because he had finally gotten over the paranoia that I remembered -- so vividly I remembered! -- that he had once had. "Are you feeling all right, gaikoukan?"

I shook my head, slightly dazedly, trying to clear my roiling thoughts into some semblance of sanity. "No, I am not feeling very well, oujisama..."

The word came out slowly, painfully... it wasn't that I didn't want to say it, my hesitation came more from my disbelief. My brother, the Prince of Nemesis...

Saffir seemed to become aware of the stares of Amethyst and Petz upon the three of us; a look that I could not read flickered across his face before he suddenly said "Leave us, Amethyst-san, Petz-san. I wish to speak to our guests alone, if I may."

"That's hardly safe-" began Amethyst, but Saffir shook his head impatiently.

"I am well aware of that, Lady Chancellor, but it seems to me that these people wish to speak with the Prince of Nemesis. Now, unless you would like to assume that throne in under ten seconds by usurping my birthright, I suggest you obey my direct order and leave."

Amethyst looked only slightly chastised; she tossed her head and stormed out of the room. Petz merely bowed and left without a word, leaving Saffir staring contemplatively at the now-empty path. His eyes were less shadowed than I remembered them to be, but they were troubled in exactly the same way as my brother's had been in the days before he died.

However, he broke off his stare, turning back to us, a tiny smile quirking his lips upward. "Now, how can I help you?"

I made to reply when I felt a prickling sensation cover my skin, as if ten thousand ants were making some kind of pilgrimage of my body. I instantly understood the feeling, however; we were being watched. After tentatively probing the immediate vicinity with my own magical powers -- not those of the jakokuzuishou, which I could no longer channel as I once had -- I realised that they were armed guards. _Very_ armed guards at that, too. 

It seemed Saffir wasn't quite as stupid as Amethyst had thought.

Setsuna was the first to speak because of my prolonged silence, and I was grateful to her for it. It was peculiar to think it, but her continual presence at my side was beginning to feel almost natural, almost... right.

**__**

Setsuna

"I am an agent from the Neo-Queen, Serenity-hime," I replied to Saffir softly, my voice husky and reverent. "This is my husband, Demando-sama, a Citizen of Nemesis who has married a Citizen of the Neo-Silver Millennium, basically branding us both outcasts from modern society. However, we are unhappy by the current political situation, as we have already said to the Neo-Queen."

Saffir cocked his head to one side, eyes curious. However, he paid no attention to his brother, which I knew must be upsetting for him. Therefore, I moved my hand over to his, clasping it tightly. He instantly squeezed my hand back, and it nearly made me smile. I was unused to such interaction; I had always relied on myself to give myself the strength I needed to carry on, and I suspected that Demando had always been much the same way... though he had always had his brother to fall back on.

Now, it seemed, he had me instead. 

"So, you are not actually diplomats then?"

"Not as such, no," I replied evenly. "We are merely wanderers in time who see two kingdoms separated by matters that were forgotten long ago."

He seemed surprised, yet somehow deeply touched by that comment. "What exactly do you mean by that... oh, I'm sorry, I don't know your name."

"Setsuna," Demando broke in, steadily meeting his brother's dusky blue eyes. "Her name is Setsuna."

Saffir gave Demando the oddest look in that moment; it was as if the Prince thought that the pale-haired man was completely one gumdrop short of a fruitcake. He then turned his attention back to me, temporarily bowing his head in a gesture of respect. "Setsuna-san, what I meant to ask you was simple. Were you meaning to imply that we are separated from the White Moon by matters that are of no consequence to us anymore?"

I shrugged, before flicking a long strand of dark green hair from my eyes. "What has happened cannot be undone, Saffir. Your people were banished from the Earth a thousand years ago... but holding an eternal grudge for it isn't going to change things... is it, Demando-sama?"

Startled, the White Prince jumped, before hurriedly formulating a reply. "N-no, it isn't, Setsuna."

I smiled, beginning to really enjoy baiting Demando. However, I schooled my mind back into seriousness at that moment. "Saffir-sama, trying to live together with the people of Earth would be more beneficial than attempting to exterminate an entire civilisation, would it not?"

The young Prince sighed; it was obvious to both his brother and myself that this was something that had been bugging him for a very long time. "I have never wanted _war_, Setsuna-san. I have always wanted to return to earth, that is true, but never have I wanted to _rule_ it."

"And why is that?" asked Demando, completely unable to help himself.

Casting him a long look, Saffir then sighed before continuing. "I was born as the first son of the previous ruler of Nemesis, Prince Adamant. However, even though I am an only child and have always been raised as the sole heir to throne, well aware of my responsibilities in this world, it never felt... right to me."

"In what way?" Demando continued, his violet eyes fascinated. Saffir also seemed enchanted by his brother's eyes, if the slightly bewildered expression in his dusky blue eyes was anything to go by. 

"I never felt as if I was the one who was going to assume the throne," he said finally. "Even when my father died, I felt as if I was still the lesser prince... and even though they crowned me, made me their Prince and their incarnated God, I never felt... like I was meant to be here."

"It's incredible," breathed Demando, his violet eyes wide and spellbound, not caring how insane he sounded.. "This is the most amazing thing I have ever heard..."

Saffir stepped forward, so that the two men were only separated by only an inch of clear space. I still stood at Demando's side, and I could quite clearly see what was going on between the two. Demando's face had gone even paler than usual, his breathing was shallow and hoarse. Saffir was still perfectly calm, but his dark eyes were troubled and peculiar. "Why do you say that, Demando-sama?"

"Do you have any idea why you don't feel as if you should rule Nemesis, Saffir-sama?" he asked slowly, very distinctly.

The blue-haired sovereign seemed on the verge of snapping "No!" when his expression abruptly changed. He looked... young, almost confused. "When I was young," he began softly, his voice slightly strained, "my father told me that my mother had borne a child before me... a young, silver haired boy whom she had named in the womb..." He seemed to blink back tears. "He was still-born." Before either of us could comment on that, his head snapped up, dusky eyes filled with tears. "And his name was Demando."

**__**

Demando

At that moment, I was suddenly filled with the fear that I was going to faint again; however, Saffir's pained eyes kept me tied to the physical plane, as did Setsuna's comforting presence, upon which I still leant. "You are telling me you never felt that the rulership of Nemesis was rightly yours because you had an older brother who died at birth?"

Saffir opened his mouth to say something to this; however, I never did hear his reply. It was at that inconvenient that a messenger chose to run in, panting heavily. "Prince Saffir-sama, the Princess has gone into labour!"

His eyes widened, his mouth dropped open as he smiled in amazement. "Thank god, thank god!" He seemed on the verge of running after the messenger when he recalled that he was not alone. To our collective shock, Saffir grabbed my hand and began to pull me along. "Come on, we have to hurry!" he chirped in a ecstatic voice, suddenly sounding so exactly like my poor dead brother that it made me want to cry. 

I grabbed Setsuna's hand as Saffir yanked me out of the internal gardens, leaving all three of us running down the hall in a line, Saffir proudly leading the way. We had lost the messenger back in the garden, it seemed. 

"Where are we going?!" I shouted to Saffir, as if he wouldn't hear me through his exhilaration. However, he surprised me by instantly calling back "My wife's bedroom! Demando-sama, rejoice with me, because today, I am to be a father!"

"NANII?!" I screeched back, causing Saffir to laugh loudly. "Your wife didn't look pregnant this morning!"

"It was a glamour spell; she didn't like looking so 'fat,' so she kept it cast about her all that time!" Saffir called back in reply, still pulling Setsuna and I down the maze of corridors. "Besides, it meant that no-one from the Earth knew about it, and we preferred it that way..."

"Why?" I asked, but Saffir halted then, causing Setsuna and I to crash into his back. "Why are we stopping?"

"We're here!" he crowed triumphantly, indicating two guards that stood outside the double doors. "Welcome to our visions of the future -- my heir!"

**__**

Setsuna

Saffir had left us in the inner sitting room when he went in to see how his wife was; Demando didn't appear to care too much about it, however. I swiftly garnered the impression that he was considering what his brother had said earlier about not feeling as if the throne belonged to him. 

This was confirmed to me rather quickly. "Setsuna, that was me who was stillborn, wasn't it?" he asked finally, turning those violet eyes on me. "My mother's dead baby was me."

I nodded, trying to look slightly sympathetic. After all, hearing about one's own death -- even in an alternate reality -- was enough to drive even the most stable of us completely bonkers. "Yes, he was you, Demando."

He sighed, looking away from my piercing cerise eyes. "Even though I understand that this was necessary -- I mean, if my brother is ruler, something _had_ to have happened to me -- it's still... weird..."

I placed one of my hands on his shoulder, I allowed my gaze to meet his eyes slowly and thoughtfully. "I'm sorry that it hurts you so much to hear about your own death. I should have told you before..."

"Oh, it's all right; I guess I just didn't expect it," he laughed, but it was shaky laughter. "I mean, I guess I always thought that it would just be that I was never born at all... I didn't think that it would mean I was born dead or something..."

I sighed shallowly. "You always had to have been born, Demando; it's the way of the timelines. Nemesis will always have its Prince Demando in some shape or form...."

He looked down at his hands, his violet eyes troubled. A small, melancholy smile crossed his features as he continued to look down, before suddenly raising his head and looking back to me. His smile was as watery as his eyes were at that point. "You know, Setsuna, that's my niece or nephew being born in there."

I smiled back at him, almost on the verge of tears myself. "I know..."

Demando looked down, and I saw that his eyes had overflowed as the tears hit his gloved hands. "I never thought I would see this day..."

To my horror, Demando then buried his alabaster visage in his gloved hands, and began to cry, silently and to himself. I understood where his grief was coming from -- in his reality, he would never have any nieces or nephews, not anymore -- and realising that I was partly the cause of it made my heart twist painfully in my chest.

__

I never should have brought him here...

My own tears spilt as I leant over to wrap my arms about his shaking shoulders, leaning my dark head against his fair, closing my eyes and I breathed in the musky scent of the White Prince of Nemesis. 

He looked up slightly, pushing me away a little as he searched my eyes with the violet that seemed to suddenly fill the world. These same eyes were incredulous as a slightly shaking finger moved up to trace the track of my tears on my dark skin. "You are crying, Senshi...?"

"I know how you feel," I whispered, almost huskily. "Though it is slightly different for you... you see Saffir's child and know that in your world, you will never see them again... I look at Saffir's child and know that in my world, I will never have any children..."

"Setsuna..." he whispered, looking confused. "I can't see why..."

"I love a man who doesn't love me... why do you think I am so attached to his child? I see the Small Lady and I sometimes believe that she is my own child... but she isn't, she isn't...."

My heart was aching in my chest as Demando looked into my eyes, his eyes grave and serious. "I know you love the Neo-King, Setsuna, but can't you love someone else? Someone else who will give you all that you need, and want so badly?"

I looked into his eyes; my hands were shaking just as badly as my voice did on my next words. "Demando, I-"

It was at that precise second the door to the internal chambers was opened, revealing a Prince dressed in a long white coat, coming out of the rooms with a tiny bundle in his arms. However, Saffir looked far from ecstatic; his skin was so pale it looked more like he had seen a ghost.

A moment later, I understood that he almost had. 

**__**

Demando

I tore my gaze away from Setsuna's enchanting eyes to have them shocked with the sight that I beheld before me. My little brother, the man who had been my greatest friend and most trusted confidant back on my own Nemesis, he stared at me as if he was seeing someone else, someone much younger, yet someone much older, an eternal paradox...

He looked at me and he _recognised_ me.

"I would like you to meet my son," he said to me in a shaky voice, his skin so deathly pale that I thought he was going to faint. However, I knew that he was trying to desperately hold his ground, given that he had a tiny infant in his arms.

I stood from the chairs, and I made my way to where my brother stood in the doorway to the other rooms. It seemed to take me an eternity to reach him; the whole way, he watched me with sick fascination, like I both frightened and intrigued him. It was like he knew what I was, but he did not -- or perhaps could not -- admit it to himself, not until I proved it.

And as I walked to him, I desperately wished I could turn around and run away... but that was what I had been doing all my life. Running away.

And that's what had gotten them all killed in the first place... their revered shiro no oji running away from his responsibilities.

I made an oath that this was the one thing I would see through to the bitter end. 

Saffir's eyes were filled with tears as he looked from the child to me, a twisted smile on his face. I say twisted because it was far from happy; as the moments passed, as he looked repeatedly from the infant to me, it changed so slowly that I couldn't give the exact moment it became a grimace. 

I looked to the infant and I felt as if my world were spinning about my mind. This tiny infant looked exactly like me... exactly like me... with pale silver hair and alabaster skin...

"This is my son... Demando..." he whispered hoarsely, looking me directly in the eyes. However, my gaze dropped down as the child stirred at the sound of his name, opening violet eyes that screamed at me _"I am you! And I will destroy Saffir just as well as you did!"_

A jolt of pain shot through my body as I stared into the wise eyes of that child, the eyes that I alone could read so explicitly _because they were my own_. 

"Kill it."

"Nanii?!" Saffir said, looking up at me with startled eyes. Setsuna's hand found my own, squeezing it so tightly that it hurt.

"Demando-sama," she murmured, but I shook her words off.

"Kill that child now, Saffir! Kill it before it kills you!"

Saffir was bewildered; several guards came from outside the sitting room, brought by my hysterical yelling. I have to admit, it certainly sounded pretty bad. They eyed me suspiciously as I continued to rail at Saffir, who seemed to shrink beneath my hysteria. 

"How can you say that?" he whispered, looking both saddened and terrified. His grip about the child had tightened somewhat, but he still looked pale and sick. I was struck by the impression that if I touched him, he would fall to the ground and shatter, like a porcelein figure. 

The tone of my voice dropped; my shoulders slumped for a second before I looked up at him with dead, empty eyes. "Because I am that child, Saffir, and I know my own mind."

I donât know what allowed Saffir the leeway into my mind at that next moment; I supposed later that it was due to my hypnotic powers. But whatever it was, in the next second, I saw my brother's past _reflected_ in Saffir's eyes... he was seeing my brother's life vicariously through mine. Everything I had seen, Saffir was now seeing for the first time...

Setsuna had moved forward somewhat to take the baby from his unresisting arms; the guards had uncomfortably observed this, but as Saffir did not react, they held back from restraining either of us. 

Saffir broke his gaze away from mine, turning eyes to the floor for a second. I knew that look -- often, my brother had looked like that after I had told him off for something. Suddenly doubling over in agony, a cry of pure pain escaping his throat, he turned away from me as he clutched his abdomen. Tears poured down his cheeks as he fought for breath, sounding asthmatic in his laboured breathing. 

However, he then startled us both by turning back to me with dead eyes, wide and staring as his tears ceased as suddenly as they had begun. "_Oniisan_," he whispered, and for a second, the entire world stilled. That was before his entire face contorted in pain and he buried his face in his hands. A second more of complete silence reigned before a choked sob escaped his throat, and he turned, running blindly from the room.

"What have I done?" I whispered, raising shaking hands to my face. I stared at them as if I could once again see the blood of innocents on my hands... like my nightmares of the death and destruction of my family. "Oh God, _what have I done?!_"

"Demando!" I heard her cry after me as I stumbled out of the room in the same direction the hysterical sovereign had taken, lurching into the hallway past two surprised guards. Setsuna, dressed in her long black dress, followed me, her long green hair bannering out behind her as she ran to my side. She didn't have to run far; my legs gave out beneath me only metres down the corridor.

"I've ruined his life," I whispered through shuddering breaths, as Setsuna came down beside me. To my surprise, she put her long arms about me, leaning her cheek against my shoulder. "I am so sorry for this, Demando... I never intended for this to happen..."

"I've ruined his life too," I replied dully. "I wasn't satisfied with ruining my brother's life in one lifetime... I had to ruin his life in another reality, too..."

Setsuna brushed long fingers against my forehead. "Gomen nasai," she whispered, and I could see the tears behind her eyes. "I was unprofessional, Demando... and I knew better! I knew that terrible things happen when one messes about in the time stream, but I ignored it because I was bored and you were an easy target..."

Her fingers brushed over my forehead again... but before I blacked out, I thought I heard his voice one last time as dusky blue eyes looked over my face. The voice was broken, sad; it was just as shattered as those twilight-coloured eyes.

"Oniisan..."

______________________________________________________________________________________

As written by Celeste Goodchild.

__

Sailor Moon is the property of Naoko Takeuchi, Kodansha Comics, and Toei Animation. 


	5. Back To Reality

Knocking on Forbidden Doors

*****

__

You're never safe until you see the dawn

And if the clock strikes past midnihgt

The hope is gone

To move under...

-- Carry On Dancing, Daniel Jones and Darren Hayes

*****

****

PART V -- Back To Reality

__

Demando

I came to in a place shrouded by mist and fog, lying on a cool ground that felt almost frozen beneath the skin of my cheek. It was not until I moved slightly that I heard the clink of crystal, and felt the pull of my cape, that I realised I was once again dressed as the White Prince of Nemesis --my former self.

"Shoosh, Demando-sama, try not to move... I think you hit your head when you fell."

As I opened my eyes, turning my head to the side, I became aware of tanned flesh at my side. When I could raise my head above her knees, I saw the concerned face of Sailor Pluto, whom was kneeling on her heels by my head. Her gloved hands rested on her knees, her Time Key lying quietly by her side. 

"Gomen nasai," she whispered, quite abruptly, her cerise eyes filling with unexpected tears. "Demando, I am so sorry for all of this... I should have known better than to take you there, I know what havoc alternate timelines can play with one's mind·"

"It's all right," I said slowly, halting her unusually garbled apology. Setsuna -- rather, now, Sailor Pluto -- had always struck me as an articulate person. This person -- this person who now appeared much younger than her thousands of years of existence -- was stumbling over her words in such a peculiar manner that it was almost frightening. 

Sailor Pluto sighed, reaching over to help me sit up without actually having to stand or move from her position herself. We ended up sitting opposite one another, she seated on her heels, myself cross-legged with one Hell of a headache. 

"Demando-sama, I-" she began, but I interrupted her.

"You have nothing to apologise for," I stated firmly, even though inside, I was still shaking from what had happened back in the alternate Nemesis. I knew that the image

__

("Oniisan!")

of Prince Saffir-sama's face twisted in agony as he was inundated with memories from my brotherâs life would never leave me... it was firmly in my mind. Forever. "I knew what I was doing when you offered the opportunity to me..."

She bowed her head; I saw two tears fall from her cheeks to land on the black material of her fuku's short skirt. "No, you didn't, Demando-sama. I never fully explained it to you... but I knew. I knew and I still took you there... I thought I didn't care! I thought it didn't matter! I thought no-one could ever hurt more than I do... but I was wrong, and because I was wrong, I have hurt you, Demando..."

My own heart was aching as the Senshi refused to look up at me. "Setsuna, you can't blame yourself for what happened... it was me who caused Saffir to see what I had seen, and in upsetting myself, I upset him, so the blame is my own..."

"I should never have taken you there."

Her tone was final, irrevocable. It hurt me to hear it, but there was really little I could do to change it, but it didn't lessen my curiosity any. "Tell me something, Sailor Pluto..."

"What?" she asked, not looking up at me. Her dark face was curtained by her long silky hair, but I knew that her tears had stopped. She never had been one for such displays of emotion. 

My own tone was soft, almost pleading. "Why did you do it?"

She stiffened slightly, then looked up at me with calmly pained eyes. "Because you and I are not really so different, Demando of the moon they call the Nemesis. We are even neighbours in this solar system... and we are both outsiders from our own people. Somehow, we always outcast ourselves, preferring a life of solitude while we loved those who would never love us... and to each of us, only one, younger, person could ever reach our hearts and make us feel real again... in your case, it was your brother. In my case, it was the Neo-Queen's daughter."

"I don't understand," I replied softly, staring up at the closed time door with tired eyes. It seemed to me now that everything was spinning around me, that everything was falling apart...

"We were both restless at the same time -- and a restless Guardian of Time generally results in a large mess... like the one you just lived through."

"It wasn't completely wasted though," I suddenly said, still gazing at the Time Door. "No, this knocking on forbidden doors, it did bring about something rather remarkable..."

I heard the rustling of her pleated skirt as the tall solitary soldier climbed to her feet, picking up her staff as she did so. I followed her lead, swaying on my feet a little as I did so. However, I rather quickly regained my composure; I had no wish to further embarrass myself in front of the Senshi. 

I found Sailor Pluto looking at me sadly as she then used one arm to indicate the Door. "I think it is time for you to go, Demando."

Blindly, I moved towards the Door, bleakly staring through it as I did so. "Setsuna..."

She followed me; I don't entirely understand why. However, she took the route back to my Nemesis by my side, and as we materialised in my throne room, I turned to her in abject confusion. "Why are you following me?"

Her half-smile was strained, unhappy. "To make sure you got home all right."

I turned away from Sailor Pluto then, looking about the room with biased eyes. My audience chamber... so different from the one I remembered from that other Nemesis. My dark, shadowed, crystalline audience chamber... so unlike the gentle friendliness of that which my brother had built... and even if there had been an underlying paranoia in that chamber, the blank honesty of that room far outstripped the political ambiguity of my own chambers. 

I stared at the indicator of the jakokuzuishou for a moment; the extreme flow of energy showed me that it was gaining immense power. Fast. 

"My time is up," I murmured, and I bent my head as I stood on the dais, one hand bracing my form against the green throne that meant very little to me anymore. 

"Is it?" asked the Guardian of the Door; imagine that! The Senshi of Time herself was unsure of how much time was left to me! 

**__**

Setsuna 

As I looked to Demando, I sighed to see the expression etched onto those icy features. They were starkly outlined by pale pink glow of the indicator; but I could clearly see his depression, his indecision.

"Do you know what today is?" he asked finally, still not looking to meet my eyes. I couldn't understand why he danced away from me in that manner, but I did not question that.

"Time's divisions are meaningless to me in such small quantities," I replied softly, though not quite truthfully. Because of the day this was, I was well-aware of the date.

"It's April Fool's Day," he murmured softly, raising a hand to his temple as if it hurt. "It is exactly one year after our original attack on Crystal Tokyo..."

"It seems you have reached a stalemate," I murmured, before turning away. "I must go now."

Demando's tone was incredulous as his head then swivelled to follow my progress down his dais, and his tone sounded almost as broken as his brother's had the moment Demando had passed out in the alternate reality. 

"Don't leave me alone."

The voice was low, the tone was pained... not like the usual speaking manner of the White Prince at all. Demando never sounded as if he were requesting something, no matter how hard he tried. However, today, he sounded as if he were brokenly pleading with me... but he was not going to force me to do anything. 

Slowly I turned back to him, meeting his violet eyes. They were a deep, pained purple at that moment, so very tired, so very very weary that it almost broke my heart.

"Some of us are always destined to live alone," I said, and even though it had meant to sound be final and irrevocable, my voice quavered as I spoke.

"Like you," he whispered softly, and I knew that he understood. He understood what my life was as the lonely, melancholy... _forgotten_ soldier....

I shrugged, trying desperately to sound indifferent, like I had done before. However, it didn't work... somehow, Demando was successfully bringing out emotions in me I had long tried to conceal, long tried to hide and deny. "That is my duty."

"And that will be your downfall," he whispered, then he closed his eyes, drawing a long, shaking breath. "Just as it will be my own..."

I turned my gaze to the garnet orb for a second, and I sighed. "Demando, your loneliness is much the same as mine, I will admit that. You have lost the one you loved as your own, and you will never have the one you love as an equal with you. I have the same problem -- the one I love as my own isn't mine, and the man I love has his wife, his one true love.

"But we are different in the way that you can't accept that. Until you can, you will never be truly happy again."

Demando smiled bitterly. "Then I never will be happy. Setsuna, I have never been denied anything I ever wanted, and now that I have been, it doesnât humble me in the slightest... it only makes me want it more."

I bowed my head, trying to suppress my disappointment, my grief over a lesson I had so badly wanted him to learn. "Then we are not as similar as I once thought."

"Perhaps not," he whispered, and I turned back to him at the sound of his quiet tears. He was by now sitting in his throne, and he had lowered his head into his hands.

Suddenly mortified by my indifference, I moved back to his side, carefully kneeling beside him. "Demando-sama."

"What?"

He didn't look up at me; his tone was so low I almost missed it. However, I didn't let that put me off, not at all. "What are you going to do now?"

Demando smiled bitterly; his voice reflected his abject misery. "I don't know! I don't even think I can go on living, not like this... not after all I've seen, not after all that I've discovered..."

"But I do it everyday of my life," I whispered softly.

"Yes... but you are immortal. I am not... and you have just proved to me that I am better off dead than living in this body, ruining everything that I touch..."

I sighed, allowing one of my gloved hands to move upwards. I gently pressed it over one of the pale hands resting on the arm of his throne. "You don't have to die because of what I showed you." 

Demando snorted at that. "Sailor Pluto, don't you know? Time is an excellent teacher... but it kills all of its pupils."

Slowly, I stood up, pulling the reluctant Prince to his feet as he did so. "Demando, you're going to become desperate, aren't you?"

He snorted again, though now he sounded as if he was on the verge of tears. "It would be the honourable thing to do, wouldn't it?"

I shook my head, but he didn't see that as he refused to look at me. Therefore, I lifted my hand to clasp his chin, forcing him to look into my eyes. He seemed surprised, but not really. It was a paradoxical look, but a very tranquil one. 

"You can't die yet, Demando-sama. I won't let you."

His surprise completely faded, to be replaced by a look of resignation. "Setsuna, I never told you..."

I smiled bleakly, not taking my miserable eyes away from his. "You never told me what?"

"I never told you... thank you..."

I sighed at that -- even now, he couldn't forget her. "You are a coward, aren't you Prince?"

Demando's hands moved upwards slightly, to rest quietly on my shoulders. His smile was unhappy, his tone quiet and reflective. "Yes, I am, Senshi... I will never be half the soldier you are..."

I brought up my other hand as my right hand stole sideways; I then cradled his head in my hands as I leant upwards slightly, to place a delicate kiss on his cool lips. "Then I will be the courageous one, Demando. I will admit that something odd passes between us after that shared experience."

"Yet, some of us are always meant to be alone," he breathed softly, his face right beside mine as his arms softly stole about my waist. He then pulled me closer to him, softly pressing his chill lips over my own in a kiss that left both of us bewildered and disorientated. 

I kept my arms loosely about his neck as I drew my face away from his, and I let my tears slip down my cheeks as I did so. "It's a funny old world, isn't it?"

He laughed, though it sounded forced and unnatural. "Yes... who would have guessed? The two secret admirers of the Neo-royals falling in love with each other..."

I looked at him sadly, with surprise. "You love me?"

His own smile was just as sad. "Did I never tell you?"

"No. And don't tell me now, either."

"I won't... because some people are always meant to be alone, ne?" He sounded almost joking, but his eyes were dead serious.

Sadly I nodded, not at all surprised by his calm acceptance of what he knew he couldn't have. Even though it was completely out of character for him, I knew that he would accept this little forbidden action.

Grudgingly disentangling myself from his arms, I stepped backwards with a sigh. "I shall put the timelines straight again, Demando."

He merely stared at me for a moment; then he sighed. "I won't remember, will I?"

I shook my head, my agony complete. "No... but I always will."

Demando stepped closer; he reached one pale hand forward to brush my hair away from my brow, tender and gentle. "Oh, but I was right about you, Senshi. You are strong and noble, wise and true. You will live with the memory of me forever, this brief and fleeting love... but I will forget, because I am far from being as strong as you are..."

"You're strong inside," I replied softly. "You have your strengths, Demando, and before you die, you will see them... just as _she_ will...."

Demando's lithe fingers lingered over my high cheekbones for a second longer; he then bent down to kiss my lips once more. I allowed one hand to steal to his temple to gently run my fingers through that soft, pale hair, but I did not prolong the kiss. It would have been just one more memory to torture myself with.

"And so we come full circle," he whispered, and he moved back to the jakokuzuishou's indicator. "But I have just one question for you, Setsuna..."

"Yes?" I asked slowly, painfully. My heart was still aching from the delicateness of his last kiss. 

"Will I... see him again?"

"Always," I whispered, and I prayed that he would not ask the next question that I expected from him. However, I knew that he would, it was written in time. 

"... will I see you again?"

"Never."

The word hung for a second in the air; but Demando did not challenge me. He merely bowed his head and nodded. "I suspected as much."

As I turned to weave the timelines back into their true configuration, I heard his words. "Aishiteru, Sailor Pluto... Meiou Setsuna..."

"I love you too," I whispered, casting him one last, longing glance. I had to smile through my tears when I saw the way he gently indicated I should turn around, and go back to my duties, my door, my life... 

Because that was who I was... and who I will always be.

**__**

Demando

I remember fainting as soon as the light from the Garnet Orb grew too bright... I thought that she would leave me then, but throughout my mind ran the words of the Senshi... _aishiteru mo mata, oujisama... _and even as I reawoke on the day after my brother's death, she spoke to me gently, softly...

The last words I remember hearing upon my awakening were simple... and even though I did not remember who said them or why, they comforted me somewhat in the hours leading up to my own death.

"On behalf of Father Chronos, may I be the first to welcome you back to reality... Prince Demando-sama."

______________________________________________________________________________________

As written by Celeste Goodchild.

__

Sailor Moon is the property of Naoko Takeuchi, Kodansha Comics, and Toei Animation.


End file.
